Interactive machine teaches lifesaving skill to travelers – in less than 5 minutes

September 11, 2017

78 Views

A new kiosk at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport gives travelers the opportunity to learn how to administer hands-only CPR in under five minutes.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is one of seven airports across the nation to offer a new training kiosk that teaches travelers how to properly use hands-only CPR. The process of learning the technique takes only about five minutes and travelers can learn about it while they wait for their flights.

Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital, and about 20 percent occur in public places such as airports. Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest when it occurs in public, and CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. The interactive kiosks are designed to train large numbers of people on this simple, lifesaving technique.

Each kiosk has a touch screen with a short video that provides an overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test. With the help of a practice mannequin, or a rubber torso, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, as well as proper hand placement – factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.

More than 20,000 visitors have learned Hands-Only CPR from American Heart Association kiosks installed in 2016 at Chicago’s O’Hare International; Indianapolis International; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International; and Baltimore-Washington International. Cleveland Hopkins International and Orlando International joined Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in unveiling their kiosks this summer. The CVG kiosk is located on Concourse A, Gates A6-A22.

“Our nation’s airports have proven to be a great way to extend our educational campaign to train people on the lifesaving skill of Hands-Only CPR and, help meet the Association’s goal to double bystander response by 2020,” said Craig Samitt, chief clinical officer at Anthem, Inc. “By expanding the availability of the training kiosks, we’re hopeful that more people will feel confident to administer Hands-Only CPR on a stranger or someone they love.”